Natea from Poli de Tucuruí promotes autonomy and hope for families of people with autism

At 2 years old, Marcelo Victor lost his speech. At that time, he also cried intensely for no apparent reason and exhibited unusual behaviors. The signs alerted his parents that something needed to be investigated, and they sought medical help. Upon evaluation, the child was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and his parents soon sought assistance at the Polyclinic Lago de Tucuruí, in southeastern Pará.

With therapies at the Autism Spectrum Disorder Care Center (Natea) of the unit, the child began to gain more autonomy and develop his skills. “Today he is undergoing medication and therapeutic treatment. We are pleased with his progress,” pointed out Samara de Souza, Marcelo's mother. Among the main developments for the little one, the improvement in speech has brought the most relief to the family. “He didn’t speak, so the speech therapist and the occupational therapist were essential for my son's treatment,” assures the child's mother.

Assistance transforms lives for the better

The treatment at Natea/Tucuruí has changed the reality for the family of public servant Aroldo Shigueo Koga. His son, Benjamim, began to exhibit different behaviors while still in daycare, and it didn’t take long for Aroldo to learn about the ASD diagnosis. Currently, undergoing medication and therapeutic treatment at Natea of Poli de Tucuruí, the child is also showing good progress.

“It is resolving my son's development. Initially, he was receiving treatment elsewhere, but I wasn’t seeing any progress in him. Then, when he started treatment at Natea, his functionality improved a lot. The Center was like a light at the end of the tunnel. Natea was excellent,” he praised.

Non-inclusive society deepens barriers

The main challenges for families with a person with ASD are social interaction in a non-inclusive society, as pointed out by Natea coordinator Claúdia Godoy. To assist these families, the nurse explains that the unit offers qualified work, with a multidisciplinary team, ensuring patient-centered care tailored to each patient’s specifics through the Singular Therapeutic Plan.

“The Center is structured every semester, based on the results of evaluations conducted during sessions and grounded in specific protocols for the context of ASD. Additionally, Natea has a specialized clinical team that supports from the diagnosis of ASD to therapeutic intervention,” explains Claudia Godoy.

Along with welcoming the family, Natea/Tucuruí maintains the Caregiver Support Program (Proac). The multidisciplinary team conducts training and guidance that ensure the necessary support for parents, guardians, and everyone involved in the patients' daily lives. “We also have a specific schedule for professionals to attend to family members, with the possibility of resolving individualized demands for each user,” noted Claudia.

Treatments

The unit has professionals such as a pediatric neurologist, pediatrician, psychiatrist, speech therapist, occupational therapist, physical educator, psychologist, nurse, social worker, and ABA practitioners. “The team's work is guided by specific protocols based on Behavior Analysis and the development of social skills,” emphasized the coordinator.

Access

For first-time access to care, municipalities within the coverage area of the regional state regulatory complex must make a request via the outpatient regulation system, directed to the specialty identified as Pediatrics – Natea. Pediatrics is the specialty defined as the entry point for the service and exclusively meets the demand of Natea's public and coordinates the flow of internal referrals according to the specific needs of each user.

The Polyclinic Lago de Tucuruí operates from Monday to Friday, from 7 AM to 7 PM. The hemodialysis service also operates on Saturdays, in two shifts. The unit is located at Avenida Raimundo Veridiano Cardoso, No. 1008, in the Santa Mônica neighborhood, and operates 100% free of charge through the Unified Health System (SUS).

Text by Roberta Paraense